This is an interesting question: How can one know if one is really ready for Monasticism, other than trying it (and seeing what happens, hopefully without serious surprises)?

"Life is a struggle. Life will throw curveballs at you, it will humble you, it will attempt to break you down. And just when you think things are starting to look up, life will smack you back down with ruthless indifference..."

householder wrote:PS it doesn't seem to ask whether one has ever suffered from a fear of Buddhists - Zenophobia!

Which soon leads to Terror vada!

“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.” ― Ajahn Chah

Monkey Mind wrote:In high school I took a career aptitude test. My peers got really cool responses like "research scientist". My results made only one recommendation: clergy.

So the one profession that allows you to meditate as part of your job and allows you as much freedom as you want (ok, I concede minor issues re training rules, but on the whole..) and offers freedom from suffering as part of the benefits.. what are you worried about again?

Hehe... this high school was in the middle of the Bible Belt... by "clergy", I assumed the test meant something more... Christian. It makes sense, though. I was a bit obsessed with world religions as a teenager.

"As I am, so are others;as others are, so am I."Having thus identified self and others,harm no one nor have them harmed.